There was no one there at two in the morning and Jake led her down past the indoor track, the tepid pool and the exercise machines that the desk jocke...s used. In a small room at the far end, Jake opened the door and led her inside.“Wow!” Béla exclaimed, looking around. The walls were lined with medieval weapons – swords, shields, a battle-axe and a mace. There were several daggers as well. Jake handed Béla a sword belt and strapped one around his own waist. Picking up a dagger, he looked at. Nudity was fine in private with your lover, but not in semi public like this. Then the penny dropped."Jesus, Mary and Joseph," she exclaimed, "Are all these yours? Wives and whatever." They are whatevers, all of them. I have no wives at the moment." At the moment?" I hope to change that soon," he said gently."And would all these still be here?" she asked, realising that he was, as she would have put it, proposing to her."Of course," he replied, knowing what was coming."Then I'll be back off to. . THWACK!Alima had not had the benefit of the same training as her mother; corporal punishment had become unfashionable in English schools in the years between their two educations. She screamed at the unexpected agony. She had hurt herself, of course, and been in fights at school, but she had thought that the impact of the dog whip would be like a really hard slap, little more than the playful strokes of their previous bedroom sessions. In the event it was like dropping a line of boiling water. . CHOP! CHOP!!"She finished her little soliloquy by curtly waving hands, palms down, several times rapidly the general direction of the open doorway behind him. Judging from his sudden shift in expression, the burly Tanzuru 'caught enough' of what she had said to be certain he didn't like what he had heard. Scowling, turning on heel, he stalked to the door. He then turned again and stopped, adopting a parade rest stance, regarding her sternly beside his battle staff."Great!" Kiyone thought.